Before commanding the praised fifth chapter of the saga ‘Panic’the names of Matt Bettinelli-Olpin it’s from Tyler Gillett were still not well known within the mainstream scene – but the duo had invested efforts in bringing found footage back to the glories of a not-too-distant past with the anthology feature ‘V/H/S’. And, before diving headlong into the Ghostface mythology, immortalized by Wes Craventhe filmmakers have joined forces for one of the most incredible and bizarre horror comedies of recent years – and one that’s a great choice for the upcoming Halloween.
In ‘Bloody Wedding’, Samara Weaving leaves his usual teenage role (seen in the tragicomedy trash ‘The baby sitter’gives Netflix) and indulges in something much more structured, while having fun with the incarnation of Grace, a young girl who is scared to death of marrying the heir of Le Domas, Alex (Mark O’Brien), son of a wealthy family that built its empire with classic board and card games. After all, she’s a believer that the other family members despise her for not having “enough blue blood” to become a member of this imperious clan – not that she really cares. In fact, Grace and Alex already enjoy an immersive intimacy that seems straight out of a fairy tale.
The atmosphere changes drastically when the couple exchange their vows and Grace is invited to participate in a small initiation, a tradition common to all new members of the clan: at midnight, in the music room, she must participate in a game. chosen by a small box built by the late Mr. Le Bail, an unknown character who is apparently responsible for bringing and maintaining the immense wealth of the family. So, she ends up taking a card that indicates that everyone should play “hide and seek”, with the girl hiding and being the target of the rest of the group. The problem is that, contrary to what she can imagine, her in-laws and brothers-in-law are actually hunting her to perform a satanic ritual until sunrise – to stay alive and renew their demonic good-fortune vows.
Right off the bat, the directors invite us to a purposefully anachronistic setting, set in a Victorian mansion whose historic construction extends even to the protagonists’ clothing – and the weapons they choose to go after Grace. It is even funny to talk about the way in which this chronological disparity arises on the big screen, since we have, in the same place, the contemporary technology of security cameras alongside crossbows and secular carbines. Fortunately, the care of the artistic team with these intentional details is what prevents the production from surrendering to amateur errors – even more allied to the imagery command promoted by Olpin and Gillett.
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That’s not all that steals our attention: Weaving’s dramatic and hilarious performance is a reflection of a persona that, with the arrival of the third act, moves by the force of hatred and the need to escape from a psychotic family nucleus and without any sense. Although at first we are presented with superficial constructions, the supporting actors are restricted to an understandable and specific behavior, such as Tony’s solemnity (Henry Czerny), Emilie’s narcotic madness (Melanie Scrofano) or the snobbish looks of socialite Charity (Elyse Levesque). But is Andie MacDowell who shares the spotlight with Weaving, giving life to matriarch Becky – who, in an arc to make anyone serious, proves to be friends with Grace only to stab her in the back in order to protect who she really loves (or what she really loves). : your wealth).
It is true to say that, at very specific moments, the little more than ninety minutes can drag on in some sequences that are too long or unnecessary for the understanding of the story; the exploration of the labyrinthine mansion, even, could gain more prominence to the detriment of certain dialogues that exist only as filler. However, we cannot deny that the script itself (signed by the minds of Guy Busick and the work-a-holic of terror Ryan Murphy) plays with explicit and bloody ideas that transform each frame into a gore spectacle that, without a shadow of a doubt, will culminate in the future cult film status that the work will gain – in fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if the iteration in question gained a legion of fans in very little time.
The cohesive narrative does not give up horror or comedy, as already mentioned – and, despite moving towards a conventional ending that purges the sins committed by the antagonistic family, it ends in an unexpected climax that makes us laugh more than gasps of shock. . Obviously clichés appear from time to time, but they are welcome in a fertile territory that does not value originality, so to speak (the film does not intend to revolutionize the genre, but to deconstruct it with rebellious aesthetic pinches). And maybe that’s its biggest and best feature.
‘Bloody Wedding’ is a delicious and bizarre adventure that builds on a initially innocent tradition, which turns into a dangerous pursuit to satisfy otherworldly desires. Loaded with incredible performances from Weaving and MacDowell, the film is delightful in its entirety – and indeed, no scene will be as iconic as that of Grace holding a shotgun in her hand and trying to shoot the butler.
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